nutting



(No Model.\ 7 2 Sheets-Sheet L.

S, E. NUTTING.

ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

No. 400,476. Patented Apr. 2, 1889..

n III/ll n,

mim

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

E. NUTTING.

ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

No. 400,476. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. NUTTING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NUTTING ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,476, dated April 2, 1889.

- Application filed August 14, 1888. Serial No. 282,755. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. NUTTING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, haye mvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Arc Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

I11 the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved lamp with some of the parts broken away to exhibit the mechanism more clearly. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with some of the parts broken away, showing a modified arrangement of some of the mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a plan View of a transverse section of Fig. 1, taken in line 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the lamp; B, a supplemental frame arranged thereon; C, the binding-post where the current of electricity enters; D, the binding-post where it departs; E E, an electro-magnet; F,

.an electro-magnet to draw the arc; G, the

lower carbon; II, the upper carbon; I, the wire of a derived circuit or shunt; J, the wire leading to the upper carbon; K, a wire forming an extension of the binding-post C; L, a wire leading from the lower carbon, G, through the electro-magnet F to the binding-post D; M, a gear-wheel; N, a brake-wheel; O, the armature; P, the spring for drawing the arma ture away from the electro-magnet and holding the brake against the wheel N, and Q. such brake.

In making my improved electric-arc lamp, I make a frame, A, of a size and shape adapted to receive the various parts and permit their operation. I have represented this frame in Fig. 1 in both size and shape as I prefer to make it, although, of course, variations in both respects can be made to suit the circumstances of different cases. I then make a supplemental frame, B, adapted to move up and down on the main frame, as hereinafter described. In this supplemental frame I arrange an electro-magnet, E E, consisting of an iron core connected to the supplemental frame, around which the wire from the derived or shunted circuit is wound. The coils of this electromagnet are connected to both the binding-posts C and D, which form the entrance and the exit of the electric current to the lamp. This connection is effected through the Wire I, and shown in Fig. 1. At the inner end of the electro-magnet is arranged an armature, O, which is represented as loosely hung on the core of the upper one of the coils constituting the electro-magnet E E. At the other end of the supplemental frame B is arranged a gear-wheel, M, provided with a pinion, m, mounted on the same shaft on which the gear-wheel is mounted, and which meshes into a row of teeth formed in the adjacent side rod of the frame A, as shown in Fig. 1, so that as the gear-wheel revolves the pinion will move up and down the row of teeth in the side rod. The teeth of the gearwheel M mesh in the teeth of a pinion, a, mounted on the same shaft as that on which the brake-wheel N is mounted, and adapted to revolve with the brake-wheel. I should perhaps say that the pinion m and the gearwheel M and the pinion n and the brakewheel N are fixed or rigidly attached to their respective shafts, so that they rotate together. The speed of the brake-wheel is thus accelerated and the force necessary to hold it is diminished, so that the operation of the brake will be more easy and certain.

The brake-wheel N is made with a smooth surface and preferably in pairs, as shown in Fig. 3, although this is not an indispensable arrangement. I prefer to arrange them in pairs, as I thereby secure greater weight and greater steadiness in the operation of the parts.

The armature O is provided or connected with a smooth-surfaced brake, Q, whose surface is preferably faced or coated with graphite or some such similar substance, which will prevent the brake and the surface of the wheel N from adhering or sticking to each other, and permit the wheel to readily and easily move when the pressure is slightly released. As the current of electricity passes from the binding-post C through the wire I into the coils of the electro-magnet E E, the same will become magnetized and tend to attract or draw the lower or free end of the armature 0 toward the lower one of its cores, and thus draw the brake away from the wheel The spring P operates in opposition to this attraction, and tends to hold the brake against the wheel N. In this way the spring and the magnetic attraction of the electro-magnet E E are constantly in opposition, and the brake Q is held against or drawn from the wheel N as the one or the other predominates. The effect of this opposing exertion of force will be hereinafter explained.

Depending from the supplemental frame 13 is a carbon-holder in which the upper carbon, H, is arranged. The wire J leads from the binding-post C and conveys the current of electricity into this carbon.

In the lower part of the frame A is arranged another electro-magnet, F, the coil of which is preferably located in an iron box, which is susceptible to magnetism. As shown in Fig. 1, this iron box consists of a cup with a hole extending through its center, and through which a tube, T, of brass or other non-magnetic metal is inserted, so as to form an annular chamber, in which the wire of the electro-magnet is coiled. The top of this box is provided with a hole with flanges extending up and down, as shown in Fig. 1. These flanges afford means for holding and fastening the lower carbon, G, which is placed through the hole, and constitute the core of the electromagnet. This arrangement makes an electro-magnet which is hollow, and which is pro vided with a hollow core in which the carbon is arranged and held.

In the tube T is arranged a coiled spring, (shown in section in Fig. 1,) on which the downwardly-extending flange around the hole in the top of the box of the electro-magnet F rests, and which holds the top of the box and the lower carbon up to their highest limit in their unmagnetized condition and until they are drawn down by the attraction of the magnetism created in the box when the current of electricity is on. The wire L of the electro-magnet F passes up the rod of the frame A to the binding-post D. I should perhaps explain right here that I make that rod of the frame A which is not provided with the row of teeth hollow, to enable me to inclose the wires connected to the lower part of the lamp, as shown in Fig. 1. If now the parts be constructed and arranged as above described, and the upper and lower carbons be arranged in place, and the current of elec tricity admitted to the binding-post C from any source, it will pass down the wire J, which forms'the most direct path in the circuit, and enter the carbon H, from which it will pass to the carbon G. As it enters the carbon G, it passes into the top of the box of the electro-magnet F and down through the carbon, and the spring surrounding it, to the bottom of the tube T. Thence it passes up and enters the coils of the 'electro-magnet F, after traversing which it passes up the wire L to p the binding-post D, where it leaves the lamp;

" traction becomes such as to overcome the upward pressure of the spring in the bottom of the tube T, and therefore draws the top of the box downward, separating the point of the carbon G from the points of the carbon H and forming an arc to produce the light; but as the points of the carbons are consumed and the space between them becomes larger the electric current passing from the wire J in the carbon H is resisted, and is consequently shunted or turned to a greater extent through the wire J into the electro-magnet E E, which increases its magnetic power. As its magnetic power is thus increased, it to a greater extent attracts the lower or free end of the armature O and slightly releases the pressure of the brake on the wheel N. As this occurs, the weight of the supplemental frame and other parts arranged therein causes it to descend 011 the rods of the frame A. This causes the pinion m, which is engaged with the series of teeth in the adjacent rod of the frame A to revolve, and with it the gearwheel M. As the gear-wheel M begins to revolve, it causes the pinion n to rotate andwith it the brake-wheel N. As the supplemental frame B descends with its various parts, it carries the carbon H down with it, and as the point of this carbon approaches the point of the carbon G the resistance to.

the current through the carbons is diminished and the amount of the current shunted is decreased. This lessens the power of the attraction in the eleetro-magnet E E and permits the springP to again overcome the power of such magnetism and draw the brake backward tightly against the wheel N, so that its revolution is checked, and with it the descent of the carbon.

While my description above might imply that the action of the magnetism in the electro-magnet E E on the free end of the armature O and the counteraction of the springP on that end, by which actions the force of the brake on the wheel N is diminished or increased, occur in an intermittent alternate series of operations, involving a perceptible period of time between them, I wish to say that the action of the magnetism and of the spring is so delicate and sensitive to the varying amount of the electric current passing through the electro magnet E E that the movement of the wheel N and the descent of the carbon are practically regular, cont-inuous, and unintermittent. In this way I am enabled to secure a light that is constant and invariable in its operation and brillianey, and which is free from that fluctuation and wavering so objectionable in arc lamps.

In order to prevent the free end of the armature 0 from being drawn into so strong a magnetic field as to prevent the operation of the spring P, and consequently the brake Q, I have provided it with a set-screw, s, which can be screwed in to greater or less extent, and which limits the extent to which the free end of the armature can be drawn toward the electro-magnet E.

WVhen the supplemental frameB has moved down to the limit of its descent, so that the carbon-points can no longer be brought to gether, or when for any other reason the cur rent of electricity through the wire J and through the carbons becomes materially weakened, the spring in the tube T lifts the top of the box of the electro-magnet F until it comes in contact with the wire-extension K of the binding-post C. The top of the box immediately under this wire-extension is provided with a stud, 7r, which is insulated from the top of the box, and which has a wire of slight resistance leading down to the wire L. This enables the current to be diverted from the electro-magnet F and afiords another passage to the main current. In this way any lamp may be automatically cut out of the circuit supplying electricity to a series of lamps, and prevents the possibility of all the lamps being extinguished by the extinguishment of the light in one.

Vhile I have described the supplemental frame B as being movable up and down the rods of the main frame A, yet this arrangementneed not be adopted to secure the desired result. In Fig. 2 I have shown the supplemental frame as fixed in its relation to the main frame and have located a toothed rod, A, centrally between the rods of the main frame. This rod A carries the carbon H, and is movable up anddown through its support or connection with the supplemental frame. This rod A and the carbon H, carried at its lower end, are kept constantly descending in precisely the same way as the supplemental frame shown in Fig. 1. Its descent is governed and regulated in the same way and by the operation of the same mechanism. I therefore do not need to describe this modification further in detail, but simply show it and suggest it in order that I may not be precluded from adopting or using so obvious an embodiment of my invention.

hat I regard as new, and desire to secure 5 their cores connected at one end, of an armature loosely attached at one end to the end of one of the cores and movable at the other end toward or from the end of the other one of the cores, a smooth-surfaced brake-wheel, a smooth-surfaced brake mounted on the armato re, and a spring drawing the brake into contact with the brake-wheel against the attraction of the magnetism, substantially as described.

2. In an arc lamp, the combination, with an electro-magnet consisting of two coils having their cores connected at one end, of an armature loosely attached at one end to the end of one of the cores and movable at the other end toward or from the end of the other one of the cores, a smooth-surfaced brake-whee1,a smooth-surfaced brake mounted on the armature, a spring drawing the brake into contact with the brake-wheel against the attraction of the magnetism, and a series of pinions and gears engaging with the brake-wheel and the main frame in which the parts are arranged, substantially as described.

3. In an arc lamp, the combination of a frame having a toothed bar, a frame movable up and down on the firstrmentioned frame, a pinion engaging with the toothed bar, a gearwheel mounted on the pinion-shaft with its teeth engaging a brake-pinion, a brake-pinion with its teeth engaging the gearwheel, a smooth-surfaced brake-wheel mounted on the brake-pinion shaft, an electro magnet, an armature loosely hung at one end and movable at the other end toward or from the electro-magnet, a smooth-faced brake connected with the armature and adapted to bear on the smooth-surfaced brake-wheel, and means for drawing the brake into contact with the brakewheel against the attraction of the magnet ism, substantially as described.

SAMUEL E. NUTTING.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS A. BANNING, GEORGE S. PAYSON. 

